SHOTLIST:

LONDON, UK (SEPT. 22, 2025) (ANADOLU – ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN ENVOY TO UK, HUSAM ZOMLOT, SPEAKING AT PRESS CONFERENCE LONDON, UK - SEPT. 22, 2025: Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian envoy to the UK, welcomed Britain’s recognition of the state of Palestine in a speech at the Palestinian Mission in London on Monday, Sept. 22.

Calling the move a “solemn responsibility” of the British government, Zomlot said the recognition was “about ending the denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to freedom and self-determination, and it is an acknowledgement of a historic injustice.”

He emphasized that the decision carries extra weight amid the war in Gaza. “It comes as our people in Gaza are being starved, bombed and buried under the rubble of their homes,” Zomlot said, adding that the recognition represents “a refusal to let genocide be the final word.”

Zomlot also highlighted Palestinian resilience and aspirations for the future: “We are not merely surviving, we are preparing for our inevitable liberation. We are preparing to thrive—as farmers, as teachers, builders and healers.”

As part of the symbolic moment, the Palestinian Mission in London unveiled a new signboard and raised the Palestinian flag outside its building.

Joining more than 150 countries, the UK officially recognizes the state of Palestine, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday ahead of the UN General Assembly.

"In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of the peace and the two-state solution," Keir Starmer said in a video statement.

He said that means a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state, adding: "At the moment, we have neither."

Starmer went on to say that the moment for recognizing Palestinian statehood "has now arrived."

"So, today, to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution I state clearly, as prime minister of this great country that the United Kingdom formally recognizes the state of Palestine," he added.

Highlighting that the move is "a pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future," Starmer said that he knows "the strength of feeling that this conflict provokes."

"Today we join over 150 countries who recognize a Palestinian state," he said.

Turning to the crippling humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Starmer said this death and destruction "horrifies all of us."

"The starvation and devastation are utterly intolerable," he underlined, adding that the situation is now "nowhere near enough aid is getting through."

Starmer also renewed his call on the Israeli government to lift the restrictions at the border.

"Stop these cruel tactics and let the aid surge in," he said.



- Starmer’s letter to Abbas

In a formal letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Starmer placed on record the UK’s recognition of Palestine “as a sovereign and independent state” effective Sept. 21.

“This historic decision affirms the United Kingdom’s support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including to statehood. A two-state solution remains the only pathway to a just and lasting peace for the region,” the letter read.

Starmer recalled Britain’s “historical role” in the Middle East, citing the 1917 Balfour Declaration, and reaffirmed the UK’s enduring commitment to a two-state solution in which “Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in peace and security.”

He said the UK looked forward to “a new era of friendship and cooperation” with the Palestinian people, and instructed the foreign secretary to begin the process of establishing full diplomatic relations.

“I was honoured to host you at Downing Street earlier this month. I look forward to a close and constructive relationship between our two States,” Starmer wrote, signing off with “best wishes.”